The following U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference, in entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,515 discloses an improved steering system having a guide tube fixed to the end of the outer casing of a steering cable. A link rod connects between the steering arm and the inner core of the steering cable. A guide means is fixed with respect to the transom support means to guide the linear movement of the inner core. A limiting means limits the range of movement of the inner core and a restoring means moves the steerable drive unit from the extreme range of the range of movement of the ram.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,193 discloses a marine hydraulic system for operation of a power steering assembly that includes a pressure accumulator to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid and valves that permit the transfer of hydraulic fluid within the cylinder to provide efficient use of hydraulic fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,029 discloses a control valve for a pressurized fluid-operated system, such as a marine power steering system, which includes a housing having an inlet and at least one outlet, with one or more work ports located there between. Pressurized fluid is supplied to the inlet, and a spool member is mounted within the housing for controlling the supply of pressurized fluid to a work-performing system, such as the extendible and retractable rod of a hydraulic cylinder assembly. The spool member includes structure for blocking the one or more work ports when the spool member is in its neutral position, when it is desired not to operate the system. This prevents the cylinder from being exposed to reservoir fluid when the spool member is in its neutral position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,690 discloses a marine hydraulic system for operation of a power steering assembly that includes a pressure accumulator to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid and valves that permit the transfer of hydraulic fluid within the cylinder to provide efficient use of hydraulic fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,444 discloses a rotary actuator used to steer a watercraft with an outboard motor. First and second brackets are attached to the outboard motor and the transom of the watercraft, respectively. The rotary actuator can be a hydraulic rotary actuator and either the rotor portion or stator portion of the rotary actuator can be attached to the outboard motor with the other portion being attached to the transom. A hydraulic pump is used to provide pressurized fluid to the actuator and a valve is used to selectively direct the pressurized fluid to one of two ports in the rotary actuator to select the directional rotation and speed between the stator portion and the rotor portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,977 discloses a hydraulic actuator for an outboard motor system in which the cylinder and piston of the actuator are disposed within a cylindrical cavity inside a cylindrical portion of a swivel bracket. The piston within the cylinder of the actuator is attached to at least one rod that extends through clearance holes of a clamp bracket and is connectable to a steering arm of an outboard motor. The one or more rods attached to the piston are aligned coaxially with an axis of rotation about which the swivel bracket rotates when the outboard motor is trimmed. As a result, no relative movement occurs between the outboard motor, the rod attached to the piston of the actuator, and the swivel bracket during rotation of the outboard motor about the axis of rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,577 discloses a hydraulic steering system in which a steering actuator is an integral portion of the support structure of a marine propulsion system. A steering arm is completely contained within the support structure of the marine propulsion system and disposed about its steering axis. An extension of the steering arm extends into a sliding joint which has a linear component and a rotational component which allow the extension of the steering arm to move relative to a moveable second portion of the steering actuator. The moveable second portion of the steering actuator moves linearly within a cylinder cavity formed in a first portion of the steering actuator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,821,168 discloses an outboard motor that is provided with an internally contained cylinder and moveable piston. The piston is caused to move by changes in differential pressure between first and second cavities within the cylinder. By adding a hydraulic pump and a steering valve, the hydraulic steering system described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,577 is converted to a power hydraulic steering system by adding a hydraulic pump and a steering valve to a manual hydraulic steering system.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,664 discloses a steering actuator system for an outboard motor that connects an actuator member to guide rails which are, in turn, attached to a motive member such as a hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder moves along a first axis with the guide rail extending in a direction perpendicular to the first axis. An actuator member is movable along the guide rail in a direction parallel to a second axis and perpendicular to the first axis. The actuator member is attached to a steering arm of the outboard motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,616 discloses a steering system for a marine propulsion device that eliminates the need for two support pins and provides a hydraulic cylinder with a protuberance and an opening which cooperate with each other to allow a hydraulic cylinder's system to be supported by a single pin for rotation about a pivot axis. The single pin allows the hydraulic cylinder to be supported by an inner transom plate in a manner that allows it to rotate in conformance with movement of a steering arm of a marine propulsion device.